Gabriel Iglesias

Gabriel Jesús Iglesias (born July 15, 1976) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has produced a number of stand-up specials for television outlets such as Comedy Central and Netflix, including ''I'm Not Fat… I'm Fluffy'', and ''Hot and Fluffy''. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous live-action and animated TV shows and films, including starring in the sitcom '' Mr. Iglesias'' on Netflix, playing Tobias in the 2012 movie ''Magic Mike'' and its 2015 sequel, and providing the voice of Speedy Gonzales in '' Space Jam: A New Legacy''. He was also the host of the shows '' Stand Up Revolution'' on Comedy Central and ''Fluffy's Food Adventures'' on Fuse.

In 2018, Iglesias was one of the top 10 paid comedians in the world.

Early life

Iglesias was born July 15, 1976, in San Diego, California,"Bio"
. fluffyguy.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012. to Esther P. Mendez and Jesús Iglesias. His mother Esther raised him as a single mother."Gabriel Iglesias takes the stage at The Show for three days"
. Desert Entertainer. He is of Mexican heritage. He lived in Riverside, Corona, Santa Ana, Baldwin Park, and Compton before settling in Section 8 low-income housing in Long Beach, where Iglesias spent most of his youth.

Career

Iglesias worked for a cell phone company in Los Angeles and in 1997 went into comedy full-time, though it resulted in him being evicted from his home and losing his car.Duck, Allison (July 23, 2009)
"Gabriel Iglesias: Fabulously Fluffy"
. ''Las Vegas Weekly''

In 2000, Iglesias appeared in the sixth season of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series '' All That'', co-starring with Amanda Bynes and Nick Cannon.

Iglesias was a contestant on the fourth season of reality TV series ''Last Comic Standing'' in 2006, surviving elimination to become one of the final eight comics. He was disqualified at that point for having used a smuggled BlackBerry to communicate with family and friends, which violated the rules of the show.

In 2007, Iglesias voiced an entire Mexican family in " Padre de Familia", a sixth season episode of the Fox TV animated comedy ''Family Guy''. That same year, he began voicing a recurring set of identical twin characters on '' The Emperor's New School'', a Disney animated series that he describes as his favorite voice work.

In 2011, Comedy Central debuted '' Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution'', a stand-up series that Iglesias produced and hosted, running for three seasons before ending in 2014.

Iglesias hosted/co-hosted six episodes of '' Equals Three'', and played a strip club DJ and drug dealer in the 2012 film ''Magic Mike''.

Iglesias voiced Ned and Zed in the 2013 DisneyToon Studios film, '' Planes''. He also voiced characters in the animated films '' The Nut Job'' (2014) and '' El Americano: The Movie'' (2016).

Iglesias is featured in the reality series ''Fluffy Breaks Even'', which premiered on Fuse on October 1, 2015. The show was renamed ''Fluffy's Food Adventures'' upon its third season renewal in January 2017. From 2019 to 2020, he played Gabe Iglesias, in '' Mr. Iglesias'', a Netflix original series about a teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. In 2021, he voiced the character of Speedy Gonzales in the film '' Space Jam: A New Legacy'' and Picchu in '' Maya and the Three''.

In 2022, Iglesias was the first comedian to sell out Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The concert was released to Netflix on October 18, 2022, as ''Stadium Fluffy''.

Influences and style

Iglesias' comedy influences are Paul Rodriguez, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and Bill Cosby. He is known for his trademark Hawaiian shirts.

Iglesias often references his weight in his comedy. One of his most well-known sayings is "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy", which he proves by explaining the different "levels" of fatness. The five original levels, according to Iglesias, are "Big", "Healthy", "Husky", "Fluffy", and "DAMN!". A sixth level ("Oh, hell no!") was added in 2009, following its perceived discovery in Las Cruces.

Regarding how novice comedians can widen their fan base, Iglesias stated in a January 2016 interview:

Awards and honors

On February 10, 2012, Iglesias was presented with several awards by the city of El Paso, Texas, including the key to the city and the Beacon of H.O.P.E Award from the nonprofit organization Operation H.O.P.E. On March 12, 2025, Iglesias had his handprints and signature cemented at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Personal life

Relationships

Since 2010, Iglesias has lived in Whittier, California. He was in a long-term relationship with Claudia Valdez, with whom he has a self-proclaimed stepson named Frankie whom he calls his son. According to a June 2020 ''People'' article, he and Valdez divorced in 2017, which led him to cancel some performances, and to quit drinking for two years. Despite the breakup, he still maintains a close relationship with Frankie, whom he helped raise.

Religion

In a 2024 interview with Neal Brennan, Iglesias stated that he did not grow up with a specific religion despite his family being originally Roman Catholic, since his mother held syncretist beliefs regarding religion—for example displaying crucifixes and images of the Virgin Mary alongside Buddha and Ganesh statues and wearing a Star of David necklace. He remained uncatechized and mostly uninvolved in organized religion during his upbringing, occasionally going to church on a friend's invite but ultimately shaping his moral framework based on his mother's guidance and personal experiences.

Health

In ''The Fluffy Movie'', Iglesias describes how at his heaviest, which he states was , he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and with his blood sugar spiking to over 300 mg/dl (16.6 mmol/L) regularly, was given two years to live by his doctor. He said the shock of being told this had prompted him to reevaluate how he took care of himself and explained that he decided to lose weight to ensure his continued presence in the lives of his family. Iglesias described the struggle to incorporate a healthier lifestyle, relating how he was told by a specialist that his heavy touring schedule precluded him from being a candidate for bariatric surgery, and how he instead resorted to weight-lifting, Diamond Dallas Page Yoga, and a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which helped him shed over . Iglesias has also struggled with depression and alcoholism, which he attributes partly to burnout from his heavy touring schedule.

On July 15, 2021, his 45th birthday, Iglesias tested positive for COVID-19, and canceled his remaining shows at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts as well as the taping of his upcoming comedy special.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

* ''Hot and Fluffy'' (2008) Image Entertainment
* ''I'm Not Fat, I'm Fluffy'' (2009)
* ''We Luv Fluffy'' (2009)
* ''Aloha Fluffy'' (2013) Comedy Central
* ''I'm Sorry For What I Said While I Was Hungry'' (2016) Netflix
* ''One Show Fits All'' (2019) Netflix
* ''Stadium Fluffy'' (2022) Netflix

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Iglesias, Gabriel
1976 births
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
American impressionists (entertainers)
American male actors of Mexican descent
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male television writers
American sketch comedians
American stand-up comedians
American television producers
American television writers
Comedians from San Diego
Hispanic and Latino American male actors
Hispanic and Latino American male comedians
Hispanic and Latino American stand-up comedians
Hispanic and Latino American television people
Last Comic Standing contestants
Living people
Male actors from San Diego
Wilson Classical High School alumni